Otonabee River

River Kawartha Lakes FMZ 17 Crown Land (Free)

About this spot

Otonabee River is a river in the Kawartha Lakes area of Ontario, in Fisheries Management Zone 17. MNR fish surveys (2011–2015) recorded 13 species here, including rock bass, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. This waterbody sits on Ontario Crown land open to anglers holding a valid Ontario fishing licence.

Location

Fish Species

Rock Bass Smallmouth Bass Yellow Perch Bluegill Walleye Catfish Largemouth Bass Muskellunge Sucker Common Carp Black Crappie

No species reported for this spot yet.

Lake data from Ontario government surveys

Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources holds 9 fish survey records from 2011 to 2015.

Species recorded (13)

Rock Bass · 5 Smallmouth Bass · 4 Yellow Perch · 4 Bluegill · 4 Pumpkinseed · 4 Walleye · 3 Brown Bullhead · 2 Largemouth Bass · 2 Muskellunge · 2 White Sucker · 2 Common Carp · 1 Bluntnose Minnow · 1 Black Crappie · 1

Number of survey records that list the species.

Sources: Land Information Ontario — Aquatic Resource Area survey points, Bathymetry Index and Bathymetry Line, Fisheries Management Zones, Fishing Access Points. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.

Fisheries Management Zone 17

Otonabee River is in Fisheries Management Zone 17. Open seasons, catch limits and size limits in Ontario are set zone by zone, and some lakes carry their own exceptions, so check the FMZ 17 rules before you fish.

FMZ 17 regulations on ontario.ca

Ice fishing on Otonabee River (2026–27)

Ontario has no separate ice fishing season: the regular open seasons apply through the ice. Otonabee River is in Fisheries Management Zone 17, where 4 of 16 species groups are open for the whole ice season (December 1 to March 31) under the zone-wide rules. Of the game fish government surveys recorded in this lake, black crappie, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, muskellunge, bluegill, pumpkinseed and yellow perch are open at least part of the winter under the zone-wide rules.

Fish sanctuary. The summary lists Otonabee River as a fish sanctuary: No fishing - January 1 to Friday after the second Saturday in May and November 16 to December 31. No fishing is allowed during that period, whatever the table below says.

Species	Through the ice	Zone-wide season	Limits
Crappie recorded here	Open	open all year	S-30 and C-10
Largemouth and smallmouth bass combined recorded here	Part of the season Dec 1 – Dec 15	third Saturday in June to December 15	S-6 and C-2
Muskellunge recorded here	Part of the season Dec 1 – Dec 15	1st Saturday in June to December 15	S-1; must be greater than 112 centimetres, and C-0
Sunfish recorded here	Open	open all year	S-300; only 30 may be greater than 18 centimetres, and C-15
Walleye and sauger combined recorded here	Closed	second Saturday in May to November 15	S-4 and C-1; must be between 35-50 centimetres
Yellow perch recorded here	Open	open all year	S-50 and C-25
Atlantic salmon	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-0 and C-0
Brook trout	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-2 and C-1
Brown trout	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-5 and C-2
Channel catfish	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to November 15	S-12 and C-6
Lake sturgeon	Closed	closed all year
Lake trout	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-3 and C-1
Lake whitefish	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to November 15	S-12 and C-6
Northern pike	Open	open all year	S-6 and C-2
Pacific salmon	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-5 and C-2
Rainbow trout	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-2 and C-1

S = sport fishing licence, C = conservation licence (daily catch and possession). Dates are worked out for 2026–27 from the wording of the 2026 summary. Ontario publishes a new summary every January 1, so check the 2027 edition for dates after December 31.

Rules specific to Otonabee River

The 2026 summary lists this lake by name. These rules replace the zone-wide ones above where they overlap.

Fish sanctuary (Peterborough, from Trent-Severn Dam at Lock 19 to Bensfort Bridge at County Road 2 (20 kilometres downstream): No fishing - January 1 to Friday after the second Saturday in May and November 16 to December 31

Ice huts in Zone 17

Huts must be registered (free, once) and show the number outside; fabric shelters under 7 m² are exempt. Remove your hut by March 1, and in any case before the ice breaks up. You may fish with two lines through the ice in most waters, within 60 m and in sight of each.

Zone 17 ice fishing rules Ice fishing in Ontario guide

Source: Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary 2026, Zone 17 (ontario.ca); ice hut rules: ontario.ca/page/ice-fishing. This summary is not the law: check the regulations and local conditions, and never go on ice you have not tested.